Monday Morning Memo: Monday (Tuesday) Morning Memo 9/3/24

As we turn the calendar page to September, we shift to

the next wellness dimension...MENTAL WELLNESS!

Some things to consider making decisions about for your own mental wellness...

This Week's Wellness Invitation: Track Decisions

Track how many decisions YOU make during the school day to get a baseline. TIP: Make tally marks on a post it or in a note on your phone. Remember, research shows...

Thank you Norm, for your help and patience as Kim and I hastily set up our offices on Monday!

With the construction it was our first opportunity to get in and get it done by 1 - and you helped

us make it happen. You're the best!

Thanks to the best partner ever - Kim Mack - for partnering to present to staff about the new

Courageous Classroom and all the work you put in on the front end to prep the slideshow!

Thank you to our new "neighbor" Collette for stopping by our office with a sweet treat. It was

a much needed pick me up!

-Meghan Reimers-Counselor at Stanton

Megan May for offering to ride on the hottest day of the year when we needed extra bus support.

Best first day of Pre-K ever! Thank you to everyone on the preschool team, you truly are all rockstars

Haley Baum for taking on any new schedule change with a smile for the greater good of our students, it is so appreciated.

Ellie and Nicole for stepping in to help us with everything and anything.

Amanda and Erica for helping to facilitate SST meeting for staff.

Joan Kantenwein, Abbey Kadera and Kim Leable for helping transition PreK!

-Natalie Udstuen--Assistant Principal at Lotus

Karen, Oner and Leah (ILP-B Team) for their extra efforts in working with a student this week. Your hard work is already paying off - BUFFALO MINDSET!!!

Liz Plemmons for bringing back the STANTON CHOIR!

Meghan and Kim for their teamwork in implementing Courageous Classroom, our new SEL curriculum.

Allison Schiavone for partnering with me on "dealing with a difficult class". Your hardwork today will pay off for the days ahead!

-Jeff Sefcik-Principal at Stanton

I would like to give a shout out to Matt Peters for going above and beyond to help a student to join Band. Seeing the smile on this student's face was such a reward. Thank you, Matt, for caring personally for our students!

-Abbey Kadera--EL Teacher at Lotus

Thanks to all the teachers at Stanton and Lotus for making scheduling smooth.

Thanks to Ellie for getting me connected to access needed data! You made my work life more streamlined.

Thanks to Betty Cwaik for your amazing sense of humor.

Thank you Yvette for brainstorming and coming up with a way to help a student in need.

Thank you Niccole Culbertsertson for filling me in on something that was difficult for a student.

-From Karen Lobodzinski--Speech Language Pathologist at both schools

I want to say thank you to Mike Szotek for helping me last week with some computer issues. He was so fast at responding. He was like superman coming to save the day! I really appreciate his professional commitment and all of his expertise in this area. What would we do without him?

-Joan Kantenwein--Literacy Interventionist at Lotus

HUGE shoutout to Karen Skorup for always lending a helping hand and giving me lots of ideas to try out in my room!

-Jillian Rejczyk--Special Education Teacher at Stanton

I would like to give kudos to Cathy Jawnyj and Katy Gardner for helping encourage me after I felt down because of a tough day this week.

-Dayja Wydzierzecki--6th Grade ELA Teacher

I have so many kudos this week! Erin Donovan, Lumi, Mandi, Mary Fisher, Kim V, Sonia, Paula, Sue, Matt, Natalie, Allie, the on-call nurse, thank you so much for coming to my aid when I went down like a ton of bricks in the classroom. I am so grateful for you all. I’m so blessed to work with such an amazing group of people. I love you all!

-Monica McCollom--Paraprofessional at Lotus

We really appreciate Courtney and all she does to help our students who need some extra help during specials!!

THANK YOU Courtney!!

-Erin Connolly-Jordt (Music Teacher at Lotus) and Gayle McManamon (Art Teacher at Lotus)

Kudos to Ms. Michelle for gently letting me know that my key opens ALL the doors. Sorry to all the teachers I interrupted this week! Oops!

-Karen McMurphy-Special Education Teacher at Lotus

Nurse Sharon for being such a CARING individual!!!

For supporting our students!!! THANK YOU, Colleen R. for your continued assistance and support in the Classroom.

THANK YOU, Brittany L. for your continued assistance and support in the Classroom.

THANK YOU, Chris B. for your friendly disposition and your assistance with transporting students to and from classes.

THANK YOU, Sherry for continuing to be a wealth of information and knowledge!!

-Jackie Gorden-Platek---Special Education Teacher at Lotus

Kudos to Kaitlyn Goorsky, Liz Andersen, and Walter Nickles for working through some technology hiccups with our new Social Studies resource! I appreciate your willingness to jump right in and learn as we go.

Kudos to Collette de Oliveira for helping Stanton staff find ways to connect with two of our Spanish speaking students!

-Natalie Molidor--Instructional Coach at Stanton

A big shout out to Kim VanHoorelbeke for all of your help over the summer with student chromebook preparation!!! Kim helped to prepare the chromebooks for Summer school and those needed for all grade levels at the start of the school year. Kim is always willing to step in and help someone. You are a Lotus Rock Star!!!

-Mike Szotek-Technology Coordinator at Lotus

A very BIG THANK YOU to my ECSE team, Mary, Mandi and Lumi who displayed outstanding empathy and professionalism during an unexpected medical event within our classroom. Your hearts are HUGE! You did an amazing job assisting during a difficult time.

A BIG THANK YOU to our Admin--Natalie, Matt and Allie--for assisting and providing privacy when necessary. You shared your calm when tension was high. Thank you for being such an amazing support system.

A BIG THANK YOU to Kim V. Your expertise as a medical professional was amazing to witness. Lotus is incredibly blessed to have your talents available, especially during an unexpected medical event. Saying “thank you” doesn’t seem enough for the amazing care you provided in a moments notice.

A BIG THANK YOU to Sonia, Paula and Sue, as well as our on call nurse on Thursday. You each stepped in to assist in various ways when we needed you the most. Thank you all so much!

A BIG THANK YOU to Ben for working with me to put up our shared bulletin board space and other items on Friday afternoon. I appreciate you!

-Erin Donovan-ECSE Teacher

Thank you to the EAFL board for putting together a wonderful articulation meeting. Your dedication, creativity and positive attitude are so wonderful to work with!

Thank you to Sonia, Penny and the Lotus kitchen staff for washing all of our delicious fruit for the meeting!

-Maureen DeVoss--2nd Grade Teacher and EAFL President

Kudos to Natalie and Matt for being an amazing team especially when it comes to crisis! I was impressed with our ability to work so cohesively with minimal vocal communication. It felt like we were a well oil machine. And kudos to all who helped with the crisis on Friday. I am grateful to have such strong and amazing group of professionals that have welcomed me w open arms

-Amy Stotland--District BCBA

Mary Fisher, Mandi Otte, Luminita Pavel, Kim VanHoorelbeke, and Erin Donovan: Thank you for your quick thinking and teamwork during a recent situation. Your responsiveness is deeply appreciated and reflects the strong sense of care and community we have at our school.

A big thank you to our Pre-K team for your flexibility and patience during dismissal. Your adaptability and positive attitude make a big difference in ensuring everything runs smoothly.

Misty Madula, Ashley Arff, Amy Stotland, and Ellie Seyfert: Thank you for your calm and compassionate handling of a challenging situation. Your professionalism and care made a significant difference, and we appreciate all you do to support our students.

Allie Mixon and Natalie Udstuen: A heartfelt thank you for being such amazing colleagues. Working with both of you is truly a pleasure, and I’m grateful for your support and the positive energy you bring to our team every day!

Yesenia Flory, Abbey Kadera, and Kimberly Leable: Thank you for all your collaborative planning with me for the upcoming year with BPAC.

Paula Kvacik: Thank you for your help with a tricky family situation. You handled it with such professionalism and grace.

-Matt Peters--Principal at Lotus

A BIG thank you to my official mentor, Erin Donovan. I am sure it will shock no one that she has gone above and beyond to make me feel welcome and comfortable here at Lotus. She is as wise as she is welcoming and continues to check in with me to make sure I get what I need as a new teacher to district #114. Erin, I am so lucky that we were put together. Your enthusiasm is contagious. Thank you for your kindness and willingness to share materials, strategies, and data collection ideas. My students and families will benefit from your generosity

Now a BIG thank you to my unofficial mentor, Sherry Tietjen. Sherry did not ask to be my mentor, but I think just because our classrooms are so close and we both have ILP classrooms, my extra bonus questions just naturally came to her. She has a lot on her plate right now... a new beautiful baby girl, working on her National Boards, and adventures with getting her wisdom teeth out, yet she could not be more kind or helpful. Sherry, the time you take to answer questions or share ideas is so very appreciated. It is nice to have such a strong teacher and devoted Bears Fan so close by!

Kristine Gumm. How lucky the kids in our classroom are to have you in it!! You are a unique balance of thoughtfully observant, gentle, a problem solver, optimistic, and tech savvy! The way you are enchanted with how our students think and what motivates them to learn, makes me just as curious and inspires me to think outside the box. You are also the walker/stander whisperer. You make setting up our equipment look easy when it is not and I am thankful that I get to learn from you (and our magical Stephanie)! Thank you for all you do my friend! It does not go unnoticed!

Haley Baum. Who knew that when we attended the CPI training before school started that we would end up in the same class! I am so thankful that you are in our room. Your positivity, kindness, and gentle approach fits right in with our students. They respond so well to you because of how you interact with them and notice what they need. Your tech savvy skills are also helpful as well! Thank you for all you do my friend! It is fun to have another Formula 1 fan in the school!

-From Pam Enright--Special Education Teacher at Lotus

Thank you Lisa Shannon for collaborating and training new staff on easyCBM with me! Also, thank you for all the support you have provided me this year. I appreciate you.

Thank you Dayja Wydzierzecki and Katy Gardner for being so welcoming and collaborative with me in your classrooms!

Thank you Lynn Smolen for always checking in and supporting me!

Thank you Dayja Wydzierzecki for all of your support and help navigating a new team this year. You are awesome!

Thank you Katy Gardner for being my Chicago Bears twin on Friday for twin day!

Thank you Rachelle Peters for always being willing to help and helping me figure out solutions when I need it.

Thank you to the sixth grade team for the great communication we have with each other. Our collaboration is awesome.

and

Thank you to Erica Barraza for always being there for me both personally and professionally. You are amazing and I appreciate you so much!

-Cathy Jawnyj--Special Education Teacher at Lotus

A BIG thank you to Matt, Mary F and Ben for donating coffee to the staff lounge coffee bar. “Because a morning without coffee is like sleep.”

-Sonia Miller--Kitchen Lead at Lotus

Just wanted to say THANK YOU to all Lotus Classrooms for working with me to get your students time for library. I know it was not EASY. Books are a powerful thing and as the image describes below just how "the POWER of Books stimulates children's imagination and lifts them out of whatever situation they may find themselves in" (Mary Pope Osborne). I'm sure we can ALL connect on that belief.

-Kim VanHoorelbeke--Library Paraprofessional at Lotus

Thanks to..

Natalie Udstuen for all the hard work to establish the Birth-3 program. Tuesdays are even more magical with this program at Lotus!!!

EVERYONE who helped save the food in the Stanton freezer this weekend when it went down! Huge thanks to Russ, Sue and Al, and Mary for moving the food to Grass Lake and back again and a special shout out to Russ for being there to make sure the freezer was repaired...and then heading to Lotus when the alarm went off there! RUSS--WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT YOU!!!

To everyone who stayed calm during crisis situations last week. Your help for each other, flexibility, teamwork, and care for our kids and each other truly blows my mind.

From Heather 🧡💛🖤

Please send me your kudos for colleagues each week! I'll happily post them in this section!

Try this...

Jeff Sefcik found and shared this AMAZING daily resource. Each day, the site provides different READY TO USE ways to connect with kids and build community, including:

*A funny meme

*Questions to ask (at a variety of levels)

*Personal Greeting at the Door

*Quick connection

*Visual check in to self-select how they are feeling

*Mindfulness idea

*Quotes

*A purposeful video

I'm telling you, I use something from this site EVERY SINGLE DAY...and I bet you will, too. If automating decision making is something you're working on for mental wellness, this is a FABULOUS tool. Check it out...

For Primary, use: https://www.edtomorrow.com/428p

For Secondary, use: https://www.edtomorrow.com/428s

eLearning Plan

We are required to have our eLearning Plan approved every 3 years...and this is our year. We'll have to do a public hearing for this at the September Board meeting. Please see the updated plan linked here. This plan shifts any remote day to an EARLY RELEASE schedule, which the EAFL Board and I agree makes a LOT more sense. If you have input or questions, please reach out!

Health/Life Safety Inspection

Representatives from the ROE will be onsite at both schools on September 18 to conduct the annual inspection. We'll be doing a "dry run" of this on September 11 to get ahead of any issues and give guidance in advance on any shifts that need to be made before the formal inspection.

IF YOU TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID...UPDATED INFO!!! (9/3/24)

Please:

1. Email or text (847-309-3921) Heather to let her know.

2. In the communication, include proof of a positive test.

You are expected to return to work as soon as you meet the following criteria:

• Be free of fever for at least 24 hours (without medication)

• Be free of vomiting and or diarrhea for at least 24 hours.

You are STRONGLY encouraged to wear a mask upon your return to prevent the spread of illness to others. Please alert me as to your date of return.

Any days out are sick days. If you are out more than 3 days--as with any illness--a physician's note is required.

Masks are available in the office for all staff who wish to wear one.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Start the new school year off right by joining the PTA!

Join the PTA this school year and make a difference in our children's education! By getting involved, you’ll help create a supportive community, enhance school programs, and ensure our kids have the best opportunities to thrive. Your voice matters—let’s work together to make this year amazing!

The first PTA meeting of the year will be Thursday, September 12th at 6:00pm in the Lotus Library.

Become a member here! Dues are just $6 for the year!

Keep up to date on everything the PTA is up to by joining our Facebook group here!

Key 2024-25 Dates

April 22

Day of Service

We'll be forming a committee of parents and staff to plan this event for the SPRING of 2025

October 21-25 Book Fair

Family Reading Night (Lotus)

October 23

Santa's Breakfast and Stanton Book Fair--TBD

February 22

Family Fun Fair (Lotus)

May 2

Rocket Launch (Stanton)

Possible Star Wars Theme

Rain date May 9

*Thank you to all that were able to attend the articulation meeting on Wednesday. It is such an honor to work with all of you and I love all of the great information that was shared. Please remember if you have any questions or concerns to feel free to reach out to any of your board members.

*Steve Podgorski, our NEA Investment Adviser Representative will be holding virtual meetings for anyone who would like to meet with him. He is able to help you with loan forgiveness, retirement services and other financial planning. Our meeting date will be Thursday, October 10. The link to sign up is below:

Link for Steve Podgorski meeting 10/10

*Don't forget about your NEA no cost benefits! To check them out, you should go to Deals and Discounts: www.neamb.com/start

*Additional benefits and deals can be found at ieanea.org

IRS Reminder for School Teachers: Up to $300 in Classroom Expenses Deductible for 2024

As educators gear up for the new school year, the IRS reminds schoolteachers that the maximum deduction for classroom expenses in 2024 remains at $300. This deduction allows educators to offset the cost of supplies, materials and other classroom essentials, providing some financial relief for those who spend their own money to improve their students' learning experience. Under federal law, this $300 cap is unchanged from 2023, continuing the adjustment for inflation that began in 2022 when the limit was raised from $250. Further details can be found here.